Evangelicals Are Now Rejecting 'Liberal' Teachings of Jesus
Published Aug 09, 2023 at 7:17 PM EDT
Updated Aug 12, 2023
By Aila Slisco

An evangelical leader is warning that conservative Christians are now
rejecting the teachings of Jesus as "liberal talking points."

Russell Moore, former top official for the Southern Baptist Convention
(SBC) who is now the editor-in-chief of Christianity Today, said during an
interview aired on NPR's All Things Considered this week that Christianity
is in a "crisis" due to the current state of right-wing politics.

Moore has found himself at odds with other evangelical leaders due to his
frequent criticism of former President Donald Trump. He resigned his
position with the SBC in 2021 following friction over his views on Trump
and a sex abuse crisis among Southern Baptist clergy.

In his NPR interview, Moore suggested that Trump had transformed the
political landscape in the U.S. to the point where some Christian
conservatives are openly denouncing a central doctrine of their religion as
being too "weak" and "liberal" for their liking.

Evangelicals Rejecting Jesus' Teachings: �Liberal Talking Points'

"Multiple pastors tell me, essentially, the same story about quoting the
Sermon on the Mount, parenthetically, in their preaching�'turn the other
cheek'�[and] to have someone come up after to say, 'Where did you get those
liberal talking points?'" Moore said.

"When the pastor would say, 'I'm literally quoting Jesus Christ' ... The
response would be, 'Yes, but that doesn't work anymore. That's weak," he
added. "When we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are
seen as subversive to us, then we're in a crisis."

Moore went to to say that he did not think it would be possible to "fix"
Christianity by "fighting a war for the soul of evangelicalism," urging his
concerned brethren to instead fight "small and local" battles like refusing
to go along with the current "church culture."

Newsweek reached out for comment to the SBC via online press contact form
on Wednesday evening.

https://www.newsweek.com/evangelicals-rejecting-jesus-teachings-liberal-
talking-points-pastor-1818706